After nine weeks of school, we all know our students are starting to feel tired, and listening just isn’t going as smoothly as it used to. But we also know how crucial listening is for language acquisition. That’s why I’m re-releasing one of our most popular episodes from Growing With

In episode 111 of “Growing With Proficiency The Podcast,” I’m super excited to chat with two incredible language educators, Alicia Shoemaker and Ben Fisher Rodriguez. We dive into the magic of ‘Aha Moments’—those lightbulb moments that bring so much joy and energy to both students and teachers. We talk about

Growing with Proficiency The Podcast episode 109 is our first collaboration episode with the outstanding Dr. Liam Printer, host of the Motivated Classroom Podcast. In this episode, we dive into the heart of language acquisition, motivation, and community-building in the classroom. We’re also discussing practical strategies to inspire your students,

Episode 104 of Growing with Proficiency The Podcast is part of my celebration of the 100th episode, and our guest is Haiyun Lu, a Mandarin teacher renowned for her expertise in comprehensible input (CI). Haiyun shares her insights on brain-based learning, practical strategies for implementing CI in language classrooms, and

Is our assessment and grading system aligned with how we teach? Episode 93 of Growing with Proficiency The Podcast opens with this important question. Join me in my conversation with Michelle Olah as we discuss aligning grading practices with actual language proficiency and the disconnect between traditional grading systems and

This week on Growing with Proficiency The Podcast, episode 90 is an in-person episode from the CI Mitten conference. Dr. Diane Neubauer and AnneMarie Chase joined me to talk about the multifaceted concept of student engagement in the world language classroom. In our discussion, we uncover and challenge traditional views

This week is the continuation of my conversation with Dr. Bill VanPatten in episode 88 of Growing with Proficiency The Podcast. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, click here to listen. In this second part, we continue exploring the intricacies of language acquisition, focusing on the role of grammar,

In this week’s episode of Growing with Proficiency The Podcast, I was joined by an exceptional guest, Dr. Bill VanPatten. In part 1 of our conversation, Dr. VanPatten shares with us the importance of acknowledging the undeniable role of input in language acquisition, the true nature of language, and the

Reading is the key.  According to Dr. Stephen Krashen,  one of the most important experts in the field of Second Language Acquisition, reading helps students to improve “reading comprehension ability, writing style, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.  In addition, evidence shows that it is pleasant, promotes cognitive development, and lowers writing

How can we ensure that students not only talk but also listen to each other in group and pair activities? In episode 75 of Growing with Proficiency The Podcast, we talk about a crucial aspect of building a classroom discourse community — not just encouraging students to speak but also

This week is the final post and podcast episode of our special 3-part series on the 3 Pillars of a Successful Language Classroom! Listen to episode 72 of Growing with Proficiency The Podcast to hear the details of the highlights mentioned in this post. Listen to part one and part